Bass of the Week - Page 24

The old adage is true: so many basses, so little time. That’s why we’re bringing you the “Bass of the Week,” a column featuring low-end instruments ranging from beautiful to bizarre. Have a bass you think we should feature? Drop us a note at botw@notreble.com

Part of the fun of the NAMM show is finding all the oddities that are tucked away into the booths for different vendors. One of the coolest discoveries for us this year was an intricate striped bass at the Hipshot booth. After a minute we got to talking with its creator, Pete Hilton of Hilton Guitars, and I got to...

One of the most interesting booths we visited at the NAMM Show this year was James Trussart Custom Guitars. The L.A.-based luthier takes a different approach to building instruments and uses steel for his bodies, often giving them a rusted finish. “I’ve always liked the look and feel of old guitars, believing them to have a life beyond that of...

This week we check out the Fëanor JMS6, a 6-string headless bass created by Italian luthier Giulio Negrini. The modern design also includes a multi-scale string configuration and fanned frets. Negrini built the bass with an alder body topped with flamed maple in a beautiful translucent colored finish. Its neck continues the flamed maple theme and is reinforced with carbon...

One of the first basses we featured in the Bass of the Week series was the redwood themed BL Design Barbary. After revisiting the BL Design website I found this unbelievable 5-string Marozi that centers around a stunning spalted myrtle burl top. The Marozi is one of luthier Beau Leopard’s double cutaway designs. This particular instrument was built with a...

This week we check out the Hades bass by Zerberus Guitars. Built in their German custom shop, the instrument was made for bassist Lenny Castellanos of the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. The bass’s uniquely figured body is made of mahogany with a Zebrawood top finished in a wild honey color. Its five-piece neck is made up of birdseye maple, mahogany,...

Bassist Danny Fox recently collaborated with luthier Xaver Tremel of Franz Bass Guitars to create a revamped version of the company’s Merak bass. The fretless four-string brings together elements of the original model with some specific tailoring to Fox’s style. The Franz Danny Fox Merak 4 is built with a walnut body that is chambered and curved for comfort. Its...

This week we check out the Willcox Saber SL, a bass that is set apart by its innovative Lightwave pickups. Originally built under the LightWave moniker, designer Chris Willcox created a separate guitar company to put out his instruments. Willcox invented the LightWave optical pickup and incorporates it into the Saber SL. “The LightWave Optical Pickup System uses our patented...

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I love checking out new basses that set themselves apart from the pack, and the LedBelli Jonah does just that. The fretless, single-cut, semi-hollow bass is a real eye catcher. The company just shared pictures of the recently completed Jonah #015, which features a stunning book-matched California Redwood burl theme. The bass’s body is semi-hollow and chambered with f-holes. Its...

This week we check out the XTC by Phantom Guitars. Handmade in Cologne, Germany, the XTC brings together elements of several classic basses with a single-coil and humbucker pickup configuration that the company says gives it modern sounds for rock, funk, jazz and pop. The XTC comes in 4-, 5-, and 6-string versions with a choice of body woods. Its...

This week we check out the R.Hyde Guitars Soul Machine, an instrument Ryan Hyde calls a blend of traditional and modern values. Hyde honed his skills in Ken Smith’s shop before starting his own in Philadelphia. “The Soul Machine is meant to be a work horse instrument of the highest caliber,” he states. “It exudes the classic vibe of yesteryear,...

We get a lot of great basses shown to us on our Facebook page, but when Italian luthier Simone Calabrese sent a picture of his SiC Instruments Madness 6, I needed more. The combination of its poplar burl top and gorgeous green satin nitro finish makes this bass mesmerizing. Built with neck-through construction, the bass’s top covers ash body wings...

We interviewed bassist Snow Owl earlier this year, and his playing astounded me. His Neubauer custom six-string bass caught my attention, too, so we’re featuring it as the bass of the week. The Neubauer Guitars Snow Owl Mazinger contrabass guitar is built with neck-through construction featuring a laminated five-piece maple/wenge neck and a wenge fingerboard. Neubauer makes the neck unique...